This
game tries so hard to be taken seriously that it's
embarrassing. With gang slang and tons of F-sharps,
this game not only can't walk the walk but it can't
even talk the talk. Anyone under the impression that
this game is the answer to GTA is seriously misguided.
If you think that a cool game is comprised of hip
hop beats and cuss words than you might as well save
your money and buy a rap CD. This crap is just window
dressing. This game would never get any street cred.
It was created by a team of losers that installed
a paint-by-numbers lexicon of thug talk which is loaded
with cliches designed to capture the imagination of
kids from the Midwest that have parents that can actually
afford to pay for games like this. If you really want
to get mad, just go online and listen to some of these
tough talking 13-year-olds. It makes me want to put
my fist through something - their skulls actually,
but it's just not worth the effort and expense of
tracking them down, purchasing an airline ticket and
taking the time off of work. Or is it?

At
the core of this glorification of urban cesspool socialites,
is a combat racing game that is average at best. It's
like a cheesy gangsta' kart racer. You drive your
car around and shoot at your competitors which are
rival gang members. There are a few missions that
include your typical escort style, and one that was
stolen from Speed where you have to keep your car
moving at over 100 mph to keep a bomb in the trunk
from detonating. The tracks are relatively small and
in no way comparable to the open-ended missions in
the GTA series.

Buck
is anti-hero of the game. He's a gang member out to
wrest control of the streets from a rival gang. It's
one of the shallowest concepts for a game that you
can imagine. You feel nothing for Buck. He's just
as much of a scumbag as the rival gang members. Still,
it's not a bad feeling to blow up a vehicle loaded
with gang vermin.

Powersliding
is required to negotiate many of the tight turns you'll
encounter. There are a variety of vehicles both new
and vintage but they suffer from unresponsive steering.
It's really no fun at all to control these vehicles
- which comprises a huge part of the gameplay. There
are various power-ups such as health and speed boosts.
You can also acquire speed boosts by performing various
skids. The boosts give you a rush as the environment
blurs at the side of the screens.

Weapons
and ammo can also be picked up along the tracks. Pistols
and automatic weapons are available as well as a steady
supply of ammo. Molotov cocktails, mines and rocket
launchers offer a diversion from gunplay but the rocket
launcher is by far the most fun since it turns a vehicle
into a fiery deathtrap. You can choose from manual
shooting in which you can shoot in any direction using
the analog stick or you can automate it using a lock-on
targeting system which simplifies the combat aspect
of the gameplay a little too much in my opinion.

In
Deathmatch mode, vehicles that take on too much damage
will eventually explode. You will be armed with both
a shotgun and a chaingun which you can use to kill
enemies as well as destroy their vehicles with. A
split screen mode lets you play head-to-head. The
co-op mode has one player doing the driving while
the other person is in control of the weapons and
the boost. Online modes are similar to the single-player
modes with the exception of the smack-talking punks
that seem to confuse this with a role-playing game.
Some of these kids think they're the real thing and
that just drives me nuts. I know that if these kids
even met a drunk in a back alley they would crap their
drawers. If only I had a plane ticket and a bottle
of Johnny Walker .

Graphically
the game looks about as good as it plays, which isn't
a compliment, just in case you weren't paying attention.
The animation is stiff and the characters all look
like blow-up dolls. They move like them as well. The
music is repetitive and even though I hate rap the
lack of variety is sure to grate on everyone's nerves.
The voiceovers are not bad but the dialog is awful.
Whomever wrote this script just doesn't have a clue.

187
Ride or Die is bad - but it's not so bad that it's
good. There's nothing good about it, period.

Preview
by Gooseberry

Thugs
with fast cars has been a popular theme in movies
and videogames and 187 Ride or Die capitalizes on
it in spades.

187
Ride or Die is an urban-themed combat racing game
that plunges players into a brutal street-racing gang
war where victory depends on ruthless driving and
deadly shooting skills. 187 Ride or Die will ship
for the current home consoles and PC this summer.

187
Ride or Die features the voices and likenesses of
rising young actors including Larenz Tate (Menace
II Society, Ray), Noel Gugliemi (Training Day, The
Fast and the Furious), and Guerilla Black. 187 Ride
or Die tells the story of a reluctant urban hero named
Buck (L. Tate), a young man living a thugs life
seething with money, fast cars and beautiful women
 with danger lurking around every corner. Set
in the underworld of Los Angeles, Buck must defend
the territory of his mentor Dupree (G. Black) from
a menacing nemesis and his gang of bandit roughriders,
led by Cortez (N. Gugliemi), who are determined to
take control of the streets.

Ubisoft
is bringing something unique to the racing genre,
which accounts for nearly 20% of the console market,"
said Tony Kee, Ubisofts VP of Marketing. "With
an engaging storyline, an addictive blend of street
racing and combat, and an impressive soundtrack and,
187 Ride or Die has the kind of edge that will appeal
to racing and hip-hop enthusiasts alike."

Pimpin
Rides: Select from a number of unique vehicles ranging
from vintage roadsters to modern muscle cars in
your quest to rule the streets.

Strapped
to the Nines: Put your hand on the pump and take
out the opposition with numerous weapons, including
an array of pistols, shotguns, and much more.

Endless
Replay Value: Several different game modes including
single player Death Race, Cop Chase and Assassination.
Or battle with your friends on PlayStation 2 online,
Xbox Live and PC online.

Loaded
Cast and Production: Features the voices and likenesses
of rising young stars such as Larenz Tate (Menace
II Society), Noel G (Training Day) and Guerilla
Black. Developed by a talented production team that
includes Director Ali Kojori (who also collaborated
on Def Jam Vandetta, NBA Street, Fight Night, Need
for Speed) alongside Creative Director Matty Rich
(Straight Out of Brooklyn, The Inkwell).

Exclusive
Music Soundtrack: Banging hip-hop soundtrack produced
exclusively for 187 Ride or Die.